Another summer DOUBLE feature this time with Hannah Orenstein! Her latest Love at First Like is out now and the perfect summer rom com read! I love a gal who loves lipstick, Bravo and Reese! Read below for her fun, fabulous responses ❤
via Amazon ~
Named a Best Book of Summer by Glamour, BuzzFeed, Cosmopolitan, and many more!
From the author of Playing with Matches, the rollicking tale of a young jewelry shop owner who accidentally leads her Instagram followers to believe that she’s engaged—and then decides to keep up the ruse.
Eliza Roth and her sister Sophie co-own a jewelry shop in Brooklyn. One night, after learning of an ex’s engagement, Eliza accidentally posts a photo of herself wearing a diamond ring on that finger to her Instagram account beloved by 100,000 followers. Sales skyrocket, press rolls in, and Eliza learns that her personal life is good for business. So she has a choice: continue the ruse or clear up the misunderstanding. With mounting financial pressure, Eliza sets off to find a fake fiancé.
Fellow entrepreneur Blake seems like the perfect match on paper. And in real life he shows promise, too. He would be perfect, if only Eliza didn’t feel also drawn to someone else. But Blake doesn’t know Eliza is “engaged”; Sophie asks Eliza for an impossible sum of money; and Eliza’s lies start to spiral out of control. She can either stay engaged online or fall in love in real life.
Written with singular charm and style, Love at First Like is for anyone growing up and settling down in the digital age.
What’s in my Bookish {Beauty} Bag? ~
What is your bag of choice?- purse/tote/backpack and brand that you have?
Currently, I’m carrying a bright turquoise, quilted leather bag that I bought while on vacation with two of my best friends in Venice. It always reminds me of that trip and I love that it matches the cover of Love at First Like!
What are your top favorite beauty picks?
I’m obsessed with Bite lipstick. The color is so saturated and the formula never dries out your skin. Sour Cherry is a really fun, punchy red, and Sweet Cream is my go-to for a neutral with pink undertones.
What do you always carry in your bag/purse/carry-on for beauty products?
Chapstick and two tubes of Bite lipstick!
What are you currently reading (can be books/magazines)
The Roxy Letters by Mary Pauline Lowry, out in 2020. The narrator has more voice and personality than the last 30 people I’ve spoken to combined. I love Roxy.
And any other fun item/must-have that you always have with you 🙂
I try to travel super light (who likes to lug around a million things?). But I always have sentimental jewelry on me: the diamond pendant I bought myself to celebrate my first book, a ruby ring that belonged to my great-grandmother, a silver ring that my sister and I both wear daily, and a bracelet I made earlier this summer at Brooklyn Charm — it has a charm in the shape of Maine, which is where I spend time with my family. Clearly, my love of jewelry inspired Eliza’s profession in Love at First Like!
Open Book ~
What three celebrities/authors/figures- living or dead, would you want to have a book club with?
Reese Witherspoon, Jasmine Guillory, and Dana Schwartz!
Current binge series?
I’m finally catching up on Suits in a Meghan Markle-inspired binge.
Last favorite book?
I had to put down Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston every few pages to internally fangirl over the flirty banter between the son of the first female president and the prince of England. Such a charming, swoonworthy, uplifting story with so many memorable characters!
What 3 things to you pack in your bag for your dream vacation? Where is it?
I’d head to Greece to sunbathe on the beach, explore ancient sites, and of course, eat well! I’d want a stack of books, a leopard-print bikini, and WiFi… so my cat-sitter can send me photos of my cat, Eloise.
Sunday NYT or US Weekly?
One of my favorite weekend routines is catching up on the New York Times‘ Real Estate section on Saturdays and Styles section on Sundays.
Last person you sent a text message to?
I sent my boyfriend two photos of an adorable baby cow I spotted on Twitter — the cow is lounging in a bathtub in one and wrapped in a fluffy towel in the other. We’ll see if I can convince him to let us get one.
Book you read that you wished you wrote?
I’d want to time-travel back to 1973 and write Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying.
Do you have a teacher who encouraged you to become a writer?
Yes! Thank you to Rob Flaggert at Needham High School, who encouraged me to pursue journalism.
Do you listen to music while you write? If so, who?
Music with lyrics trips me up, so I tend to go for ambient electronic playlists or really intense classical symphonies, depending on the scene.
Describe your writing space?
My kitchen table or couch, surrounded by 100 cups of coffee. I have to hide my phone to avoid distractions.
Coffee or tea?
Coffee!
Do you have a favorite book that you gift?
No, but that sounds like a lovely idea! The last book I gave as a gift was Educated by Tara Westover.
Book that you wished they would make a movie out of?
Andrea Dunlop’s She Regrets Nothing and We Came Here To Forget would be ridiculously excellent movies.
If you could have one song as the theme song of your life what would it be and why?
I’ve always listened to KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” from The Devil Wears Prada during major moments in my career as a writer and editor. It still gives me butterflies.
What/Who inspires you?
I’ve met so many wonderful people through the book world — authors, readers, and more — and I find their energy inspiring. It’s hard to leave a book signing or author support group (they exist!) and not want to scribble down another idea.
Bravo reality TV- yes or no?
Let me say this as a girl who has eaten goat cheese balls in the alley behind SUR: Yes.
Favorite Instagram account?
@moomoi makes the most gorgeous art that combines fashion illustration and actual flowers. Definitely a fave!
If you could name just one lipstick after a book, what would you call it and what shade would it be?
Sex and the City would be fun, right? I’m picturing it as a soft pink — perfect to pair with a naked dress and Manolos.
Current #TBR pile?
Next up: Breathe In, Cash Out by Madeleine Henry.
Best advice you’ve ever received?
From my first boss, E. Jean Carroll: “Fortune favors the bold.” It inspires me to take risks.
Follow Hannah:
blissbeautyandbeyond.wordpress.com 